A document-services dialog window, accessible from all applications of a mobile computing device (MID), interacts with other applications on the MID, and with remote document services on a document access server. The applications on the MID are linked to the document access server and to the document references stored in a document reference repository on the MID. The document references can be beamed to another MID. The document services interface is invoked to access a desired document reference and enables a user of a MID to execute actions on a selected document via the selected document reference.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for enabling an action on an electronic document using a mobile information device having a document service interface, the method comprising: receiving a selection of a document reference with which a first electronic document stored remote from the mobile information device is associated by one of: a. opening a second electronic document stored at the mobile information device that contains the document reference; or b. opening a document reference repository at the mobile information device that contains the document reference; invoking the document services interface on the mobile information device after receiving the selection of the document reference; receiving, at the document service interface, an action to be performed on the first electronic document by an access device capable of performing the action; and transmitting, from the mobile information device to the access device, the selected document reference associated with the first electronic document and the received action to be performed at the access device, wherein the mobile information device is not capable of performing the action on the first electronic document, the document reference is the first electronic document's URL, and the mobile information device commands the performing of the action on the first electronic document at the access device by transmitting the selected document reference without transmitting the first electronic document to the access device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the document reference repository is stored on the mobile information device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the document reference repository is stored on an access device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the action to be performed on the first electronic document further comprises receiving a selection of the action to be performed using the document services interface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the action to be performed on the first electronic document further comprises invoking an action option interface usable to select at least one option associated with the selected action.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the action option interface contains action options corresponding to the selected action.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected document reference and the action to be performed are transmitted from the mobile information device to the access device via a second mobile information device.
8. A mobile information device, the mobile information device performing the method of claim 1 .
9. An information storage medium, comprising a program, the program capable of executing in a processor and performing the method of claim 1 .
10. A method for transferring a document reference to an electronic document from a first mobile information device to a second mobile information device, so as to enable an action on a first electronic document using the second mobile information device, the first mobile information device having a document service interface, the method comprising: receiving, at the first mobile information device, a document reference, with which a first electronic document stored remote from the first mobile information device is associated by one of: a. opening a second electronic document stored at the first mobile information device that contains the document reference; or b. opening a document reference repository at the first mobile information device that contains the document reference; invoking, at the first mobile information device, the document services interface after receiving the selection of the document reference; transmitting the selected document reference associated with the first electronic document from the first mobile information device to the second mobile information device using the document service interface, such that the document reference and an action to be performed on the first electronic document are transmitted from the second mobile information device to an access device capable of performing the action on the first electronic document, wherein the first and second mobile information devices are not capable of performing the action on the first electronic document, the document reference is the first electronic document's URL, and the mobile information device commands the performing of the action on the first electronic document at the access device by transmitting the selected document reference without transmitting the first electronic document to the second mobile device.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the document reference comprises receiving a selection of the document reference.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the document reference repository is stored on the first mobile information device.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the document reference repository is stored on an access device.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the document reference comprises: receiving a selection of the first electronic document; and generating the document reference based on the selected first electronic document.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first electronic document is accessible through the access device.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the document reference comprises wirelessly beaming the document reference directly from the first mobile information device to the second mobile information device.
17. A mobile information device, the mobile information device performing the method of claim 10 .
18. An information storage medium, comprising a program, the program capable of executing in a processor and performing the method of claim 10 .
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 16, 2002
January 5, 2010
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